'Raid on Isabela town mayor's houses political harassment'

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Pure political harassment.

Thus said Isabela Rep. Edwin Uy on the predicament of one of his allies, Mayor Fernando Cumigad of Gamu town, whose houses were raided Saturday for firearms.

“What they are doing against us is unfair and pure political harassment. Our lawyers are now studying what to do about Mayor Cumigad’s (case),” said Uy, the vice gubernatorial running mate of Gov. Grace Padaca of the Liberal Party.

Padaca is up against three-term Rep. Faustino Dy III of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, while Uy is pitted against outgoing first district Rep. Rodito Albano.  

Cumigad posted P400,000 bail Sunday night before the local prosecutor’s office where the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges of illegal possession of firearms against him.

Policemen, armed with search warrants, raided Cumigad’s nine houses, including his main residence in Gamu’s Barangay District III, Saturday morning. 

Reports said 16 long and short firearms, including five M-16 rifles, a Famas 7.62-mm rifle, an M-2 Carbine rifle, three 12-gauge shotguns, six short firearms, and rifle grenades were seized from four of Cumigad’s houses.

Chief Inspector Melchor Cantil, CIDG-Isabela head, said some of the seized firearms, including a sidearm confiscated from a security guard at Cumigad’s residence, had expired licenses.

“We included (the guard’s) firearm since he works for the mayor. We didn’t arrest the guard anymore, however,” he said.

Cumigad earlier said all his firearms were licensed. “(My political rivals) have been insisting that I have unlicensed guns. But all of my guns are covered by legal papers,” he said.